David Curley, 55, had pleaded guilty in July to asking the late Justin Williams, for a nomination to join the Order of St John in exchange for firearms and an appointment as legal adviser to the regiment.

The offence took place over several months in 2015 before Curley’s promotion to head of the RBR with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in February 2016.

According to the Royal Gazette, at a hearing on January 25, 2023, Puisne Judge Juan Wolffe sentenced Curley to 18 months behind bars, with 12 of those months to be suspended for a year.

Mr Justice Wolffe said he thought a term of imprisonment was necessary to send out a deterrent message.

Prosecutors had pushed for a custodial sentence of between 18 months and three years but said they would not object to that sentence being suspended if Curley was given additional punishments such as community service.

Immediately after sentence was passed, Curley’s lawyer, Mark Pettingill, asked if bail could be granted so that he could file an appeal.

But Alan Richards, for the Crown, objected to that request, arguing that bail could only be granted once an appeal had been submitted. Mr Justice Wolffe agreed.

Curley wearing a dark blue suit, was then led away by two prison security guards.

Who Governor & CoP accountable to?

News of Mr Curley’s sentencing comes as persons in the [British] Virgin Islands continue to ask who the Governor and the Police Commissioner are accountable to, as a Commission of Inquiry sponsored by the UK did not look into their portfolios, despite countless allegations of corruption, discrimination and mistrust in the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF).

Police Commissioner Mark Collins was recently pardoned by the Governor, through the National Security Council, for the controversial Police in Paradise video. Many have said Collins should have been charged for ‘Breach of Trust’ for allegedly releasing to a UK media production company videos that were part of active investigations.

Only recently a police officer was discovered as one of the worst serial rapists in the United Kingdom.

This has also raised questions as to the screening process for UK officers joining the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF).

News of Mr David Curley’s sentencing comes as persons in the Virgin Islands continue to ask who the Governor (John J. Rankin, right,) and the Police Commissioner (Mark Collins, left) are accountable to, as a Commission of Inquiry sponsored by the UK did not look into their portfolios, despite countless allegations of corruption, discrimination and mistrust in the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF).